Diverse Voices
Speak Out on Forest Service Roadless AreasPeople from across the spectrum support continued roadless area
protection. Below is a sample of supporting voices:

"This has much to do
not only with how the natural world looks to us, but how we look at
ourselves. I think that access to wild places allows individuals not
just to recreate, to hike or fish, but to really get free of all the
rigid structures in the mind...When I recruit businesses to Denver and
Colorado, they want to know about things such as schools and traffic,
but they also ask about the mountains, how things are holding up...Once
roads go through, we never can go back."
John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor

“We, as ranchers in
Pueblo County, Colorado, would request that no more roads be built in
the forests of Colorado. The wildlife need quiet areas; the state and
federal forest services are already overwhelmed with work load, under
staffed; and more roads will increase erosion and decrease watershed
quality.”
Betsy Brown, 3R Ranch, Beulah, Colorado

“Roadless areas provide the scenic backdrop that my customers
come to expect and enjoy when they come to Colorado. Roadless areas are
also crucial to protecting healthy watersheds that river outfitters
depend on.”
Bill Dvořák, an outfitter in the Arkansas Valley,

"I lead groups into the backcountry a couple of times a month.
These people value the peace and invigoration of a wilderness experience
enough to strap on a pack and snowshoes and go after it. We enjoy the
forest respectfully, and "leave no trace" of our passing through it.
While general access to some portion of the out-of-doors is important,
there needs to be a balance. A large and growing segment of Colorado's
population appreciate unspoiled areas where nature's sounds and
knock-you-over-views are not marred by revving engines or honking horns,
and which the wildlife hasn't learned to avoid. Once the unspoiled
nature of these areas is gone, we'll never get it back"Bill Campbell, Sierra Club Outings Leader

“Colorado is one of the top mountain bike venues in the world,
and that popularity is directly related to the large number of narrow
trails in backcountry settings. Protecting roadless areas will help
protect those trails.”
Chris Herrman, President, Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail
Association, Inc.

"Our National Forest roadless areas are where backcountry
recreation, such as hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and mountain biking, is
at its best. Without these natural forests, the 3 million Coloradans
that enjoy quiet backcountry recreation, as well as the local
communities that depend on outdoor recreation for their economic
wellbeing, would suffer. Consider that tourism, of which outdoor
recreation is a major part, contributes $7 billion annually to
Colorado's economy."
Vera Smith, Conservation Director, Colorado Mountain Club

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These individuals and organizations are not affiliated with
Colorado's Forest Legacy